Jean-Claude Arnault had denied the charges, which have rocked the prestigious academy with seven members either being forced to leave or quitting in April

Published Oct 1, 2018 at 5:18 AM

Receive the latest national-international updates in your inbox

In this Sept. 19, 2018, file photo, Frenchman Jean-Claude Arnault arrives at the district court in Stockholm, where he was to appear accused of rape and sexual assault, allegations that prompted the Swedish Academy to postpone the Nobel Literature Prize. Arnault denied the allegations, but was convicted on one count of rape.

The man at the center of a sex-abuse and financial crimes scandal that is tarnishing the academy that awards the Nobel Prize in Literature was convicted of rape and sentenced to two years in prison on Monday.

Jean-Claude Arnault, a major cultural figure in Sweden, had faced two counts of rape of a woman in 2011.

He was found guilty of one rape, but was acquitted of the other because the victim said she was asleep and judges said her account wasn't reliable.

Judge Gudrun Antemar said the role of the court was to decide whether the prosecutor had proven the charges beyond a reasonable doubt.

"The court's conclusion is that the evidence is enough to find the defendant guilty of one of the events," she said, adding the evidence "has mainly consisted of statements made during the trial by the injured party and several witnesses."

In Sweden, rape is punishable by a minimum of two years and a maximum of six years in prison.

It remains unclear to whom the names were allegedly disclosed, and it is not known whether it has been investigated.

All the allegations have shredded the academy's credibility, called into question its judgment and the scandal has sparked a debate over how to face up to its flaws. It has divided the body's 18 members — who are appointed for life — into hostile camps and prompted seven members of the prestigious institution to leave or disassociate themselves from it.

Many in the Scandinavian nation, known for promoting gender equality, have expressed dismay over the scandal, which has exposed bitter divisions within the academy and given rise to accusations of patriarchal leanings among some members.

It began in November, when 18 women came forward in a Swedish newspaper with accusations against Arnault.

In April, the Swedish Academy said an internal investigation into sexual misconduct allegations found that "unacceptable behavior in the form of unwanted intimacy" had taken place within the ranks of the prestigious institution.